Just like that August has come and gone. The sea has given it a big send off with the large waves we have seen in the last few days. Fishing has taken a bit of a backseat but prior to the big sea, the fishing was smashing.
Top tip: Often we fish far too heavy for our intended target species. There are exceptions where you want to go heavier and this is often the case when fish health trumps enjoying the fight. Sometimes scaling down a line class or two can not only increase your chance of catching a fish, it can also greatly improve your enjoyment.
So, whether you are fishing for bass, trout or sharks, consider fishing a bit lighter to get the bite.
Offshore:
The big seas have kept most anglers on the beach or at home. The tuna have been around as well as the couta and some big snoek. As soon as the sea calms down the hunt will be back on!
North – The north coast has seen the bulk of the gamefish action with variety and size being better than the central or south sections.
The snoek have been feeding well in the mornings with fillet baits being the top producing method for boat and ski anglers. Most of the spots along the north coast have been a bit tricky to launch in the last few weeks so please spend some time watching the sets and planning your way out. The deeper areas have seen the bigger couta with most of the top spots being kept as a close secret. Live bait has been the key to the big fish.
Central – The central coast has been a bit of a ghost town. Most anglers have kept a wide berth of the area to avoid the pollution and getting sick.
There have been some anglers fishing far offshore that have managed some good tuna. These fish have been taken on artificial lures with high-speed trolling being the most effective. Lipped lures and skirted lures in purples and greens have done very well based on reports.
South – The south coast has also seen its share of tricky launches so the same applies to both the new guys to the area and the old hands…
Fishing the inshore areas has seen some good Garrick and snoek taken by those trolling live baits and fillets. There have been some big kingies that have jumped on as well.
Those boats going deeper have seen some decent tuna and some wahoo. These have been taken on trolled lures and speed trolling live bonito. Make sure to get the bonito back in to the water quickly as they do not keep well.
Rock and surf:
The rock and surf fishing has been edible dominant for the past few weeks. Those looking for inedibles have had to travel north or to the Transkei to get their fix.
North – The north coast has seen a couple of inedibles for the anglers looking for more of a fight. The main targets up north have been edibles. This has been a bit tricky with a large portion of the ledges and reefs being sanded up. Hopefully these big seas will open them up. Those that have fished up north managed a mix of edibles with chokka and prawn being the baits of choice.
Central – The central coast has not been fished due to the pollution.
Please keep away from the beaches until the municipality opens them up. (We have just been informed that the beaches from Sun Coast to North Pier is open)
South – The south coast has been a hot spot for the last three weeks. There have been plenty of kob and bronze bream caught and some amazing numbers mentioned. The reefs of Trafalgar have been the main drawcard down south. Some of the areas have required a long cast so make sure your tackle is up to the task. Once again prawn and chokka have been the best baits. Red prawn has taken the lead over pink prawn.
Freshwater:
The freshwater fishing has really picked up in the last few days with the bass already starting their spawning behaviour in some areas.
Bass – The bass fishing is starting to heat up. Some of the warmer waters are already seeing spawning behaviour with the feisty male bass starting to sit on nest areas. Look in the shallows where you see a transition between different bottom structures. These feisty males are quite easy to catch as they are very aggressive and territorial. Lures with rattles and movement will trigger them. Please release these fish safely to carry on the future of the bass in the dam.
Hazlemere has been the pick of the Durban dams while Albert falls has been the inland choice venue.
Carp – The carp fishing has been consistent over the last week or two. The frontal conditions have made fishing slow on some days but persistence in your spot and making sure you keep the areas you are fishing well-stocked with bait has been the ticket to a full net of carp.
Most of the dams, both private and public, have seen decent fishing. A mix of flavours have been reported as the best, but banana and garlic have been the most consistent.
Trout – The Stillwaters have been fishing well even though the fishing has slowed down from previous weeks. Stripping streamers on sinking lines around drop-offs has been a great way to target the bigger fish. Make sure to use a decent leader and not to go too light as the fish hit the fly hard!
The fly anglers have also had a lot of fun with the scalies in the rivers. If you have not tried this yet, give it a go. Pop in to one of our stores to get the right tackle to get you started.
News from our Jan, The Kingfisher in PMB – “So just as the weather was stabilising nicely last week, up sneaked a frontal system … because of course it was a comp weekend for the bass boys … but more on that just now. Overall however, happy to report that the fishing is picking up across all facets, so let’s get into it…
Last weekend saw the Albert Falls Classic taking place, and some excellent bags were reported. The winning bag for the 2 days fishing came in with local anglers Kirk van Reeuwyk and Mark Meyer, pulling the scale to 32.625kg. Eugene and Gareth Potgieter came in a close second with 32.376kg, giving them top honours for the father and Son team. Mark and Lorraine Duckham took the mixed team honours with 26.460kg. In the single biggest fish competition, in the men’s division went to Kurt Hoffman with a fish of 4.48kg, and Lorraine Duckham taking the ladies top spot with a fish of 2.998kg. Great to see the Juniors featuring in the rankings, with Jordan Heyns taking top spot with a fish of 3.788kg (and 13th spot in the biggest fish board). Excellent results all round, so Congrats to all the anglers.
There are plenty of fish around, but the big one’s are keeping mum right now. Word off the water was that the fishing was excellent on Friday, but slowed dramatically on Saturday as a result of a frontal system that came up the country. Air temperature dropped dramatically with snow reported nearby, and no doubt pressure followed suit giving the fish the dreaded “zip lip”.
This weekend sees another event, the last event in the Joeys Tournament Trail season, taking place on Albert Falls Dam on Saturday 3 September. Fingers crossed that the weather plays ball this time, as the expectation is that the BIG fish will start coming to hand. There is plenty on the line for the teams at the top of the table, who will be battling it out for a place in The Final. Only the top 15 teams after Saturday’s competition will qualify for the two-day Final at Woodstock, which will be fished on the 1st and 2nd October. As mentioned last week, the Ladysmith Bassmasters is set to take place at the end of September on the 24-25th.
There is much excitement with the trout anglers as this week FINALLY sees the Opening of the river season on 1 September. I, for one, will be on the river in the hopes of opening my river brown trout account. Stay tuned for the report next week!
On the stillwater side, the waters of the Natal Fly Fishers Club have been giving up their secrets, with some cracking fish coming out! Good numbers of fish showing up in the 12-20 inch / 30-50cm bracket, but very pleased to see that big ‘uns are showing up again … there have a number fish over the 20 inch / 50cm mark, with an absolute corker of a cock fish reported in the 25-27 inches / 63-68cm bracket! That must have put a proper bend in that angler’s rod! Congrats!
As reported last week, it seems that the bass fishing is picking up properly. Fish are in (pre-)spawn mode and have started to move up into the shallows, and there have been a couple of fatties reported in the last week. These larger specimens will be the female fish, so as requested by the bass anglers, please treat the girls with respect. Tackle up and get them into the boat quickly. Wet hands, and don’t hold them by the mouth and hanging vertically down; support their weight and hold them horizontally under the belly towards the tail. Get your Hero Shot and release immediately … they hold the future of the bass fishing.
This weekend also sees a Scaly Fishing Clinic being held by the NFFC on the Umkomaas at Nyala Pans – I am unfortunately unable to attend but look forward to reporting next week! River temps are reportedly on the rise, with the Umkomaas being noted as “comfortable swimming”. More local, the Umngeni is also warming, and although somewhat early, a report came in of scaly apparently queuing at Cascades on their up and out of Midmar”. Thanks Jan.
For the best in tackle and advice, pop into The Kingfisher 8am-5pm Mon-Fri, 8am-1pm on Saturdays and Sundays
Tight lines and screaming reels.
Great news, The Kingfisher has just opened their new store on the upper north coast. Situated in the Tiffany’s Shopping Center in Salt Rock, this store is ideally positioned for our north coast anglers. For all your angling needs, (freshwater or saltwater) pop in and see them or give them a shout on 032 307 0041.
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